Parent upset over children's firearm suspensions at Byron High School on second day of deer season

BYRON, Michigan - Kathy Domanski said school officials should have given warning to students not to bring their hunting wares to Byron High School on Tuesday morning.

Her sons, 16-year-old junior Kyle Domanski and 17-year-old senior Eric Domanski, were two of six students suspended for having weapons in their vehicle following a preplanned "shelter in place" lockdown drill at the school on 312 W. Maple St.

High school principal Steve Vowles noticed a rifle case in the back of a vehicle, prompting other searches uncovering a total of five shotguns, a bow, a paintball gun and ammunition.

The fact the windows to the truck are heavily tinted and the cases were covered up with a black sleeping bag had Kathy Domanski suspecting authorities were identifying only certain vehicles.

"I think he was just targeted because he was one of the kids they know is a hunter, a farm boy," she said. "I don't feel they were posing a danger."

"I understand about the zero-tolerance (policy), but there was no threats involved," Kathy Domanski said. "Police were called out for a drug search."

Some students were warned by friends via text messages not to come to school so they wouldn't be found with guns or bows in their vehicles, Kyle Domanski said.

Kyle said he was coming back from hunting earlier that morning between 6:30 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. and headed straight to school afterward. He was at lunch when he was taken by a police officer to his vehicle, asked to unlock the truck and the gun and bow were taken. Kyle and Eric were both asked to immediately leave the school grounds.

Distress has been brought upon some families because of the incident, Kathy Domanski said because they don't want it to be known their children were ones caught with the weapons.

Kyle and Eric Domanski face pre-disciplinary hearings tomorrow afternoon where they could be suspended for up to 10 days and face possible expulsion at a later date following Board of Education action, said Byron Schools Superintendent Daniel Scow.